When the evening's entertainment includes self-hypnosis videos about how to be a better lover, businessman, and bowler; a 1986 home movie taken during a debaucherous weekend in Florida; a collection of ventriloquism how-to videos that will forever haunt you; a brand-new compilation of exercise videos featuring Cher, Lyle Alzado and the American Gladiators, it can mean only one thing: The Found Footage Festival is back in town. Hosts Nick Prueher and Joe Pickett began festival in 2004 to showcase the treasures rescued from garage sales and second hand shops around the country. Their stop in Chicago on a 75-city tour will also feature a 25th anniversary screening of the short documentary classic Heavy Metal Parking Lot, a hilarious and essential video portrait of Judas Priest fans killing some time before a concert. The Found Footage Festival takes place Saturday April 15 at 10 p.m. at The Music Box. Tickets are $12.
More TV Shows are set to start shooting in Chicago this spring. Reeelchicago reports that "Boss," with Kelsey Grammer as Mayor of Chicago, at last begins shooting April 27. Love-him-or-hate-him director Gus Van Sant is slated to direct the first episode. Also set for local shooting are pilot's MTV's "Under Employed" about the imaginary young people that MTV imagines still watch its programming, and FX's "Powers," about detectives investigating crimes perpetrated by super heroes. No word yet on whether they will solve the case of "70% of what passes for 'Summer Movies.'"
There are a lot of wonderful things to see this weekend, but of special note is that indescribable Cannes Palm d'Or winning Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives, which we tried to describe when it made its local debut at the Chicago International Film Festival, finally opens for a local run at the Music Box.
Serious fans of film criticism are going to want to be in Evanston next weekend for the Block Cinema hosted conference Illuminating the Shadows: Film Criticism in Focus. Luminaries from the local film criticism circuit, along with some ringers from the coastal farm system, will lead panel discussions, conversations and curated screenings exploring the state of film criticism. Errol Morris' fascinating Tabloid and Raoul Walsh's esteemed Sailor's Luck headline the screenings, and three days worth of deliciously nerdy panels culminate in Sunday evening's roundtable on "Criticism in Chicago—A Case Study" featuring some of the best critics in Chicago, moderated by Eight Forty-Eight's Alison Cuddy. All events are free and open to the public.
The Chicago International Movies & Music Festival, or CIMM Fest, which we told you about last month, starts tonight with a screening of FIX: The Ministry Movie, Doug Freel's documentary about Chicago's own godfathers of Industrial music, hosted by Sound Opinions' Jim DeRogatis and Greg Kot at the Music Box. Tomorrow night's follow up is equally as impressive, with J.R. Robinson's all-star ensemble providing live accompaniment to Kenneth Anger's extremely influential avant-garde works Lucifer Rising and Scorpio Rising, followed by Chicago's own Joan of Arc accompanying a screening of Carl Dreyer's silent The Passion of Joan of Arc, a film on the short list for the greatest ever made. A full weekend of excellent music-related movies and events follows, including a panel discussion featuring this writer, on the subject of "The Greatest Music Video Ever Made," on Sunday at 1:30 p.m. at the Chicago Cultural Center. Ticket information and complete schedules are available online.